Saturday, August 3, 2013

Infertility: 'twas the night before

I wrote this post June 23, 2013 in the middle of our infertility process. I knew that I would want to remember the details and that some day, someone else would be thirsting to hear what it was like to be in this place. 


Retrieval.  Yep, that's right folks. Retrieval! My body responded fairly quickly to pretty low doses of medications!

A week ago Friday I started with 225 units of Follistim. Mondays blood work showed I was already responding well, so they lowered that to 75 units and added 75 units of Menopur (the lowest dose).

By Wednesday, despite a nightmare HOUR it took for them to get maybe 1/8 a vial of blood, my estradiol levels were climbing. This Friday brought an ultrasound which showed 7 follicles on the left ovary and 13 follicles on the right, all at least 13mm! My estradiol level was over 2000. When the nurse called that afternoon she said they wanted me back Saturday morning for another ultrasound and bloodwork. The tech was great and told me immediately Saturday that I had 2 new follicles and all had grown greatly overnight! The nurse called us fairly quickly and said it was trigger time! My estradiol had soared to over 4000 overnight so all those follicles are ready to make eggs.

The trigger shot was fairly anticlimactic although the timing had to be impeccable. Justin injected it Saturday night at 8:30 exactly. It was a shock since it was IM, but not too painful.

So here we are. A mere 10 hours or so away from retrieval. I'm very uncomfortable at this point and my lower stomach is swollen tremendously. I feel like I already look a few weeks pregnant and clothing is very annoying! I've pretty much been wearing my robe in the hotel room unless we go out. We ended up staying in St. Louis since Friday and won't go home until Tuesday morning. It makes the most sense.

I'm also pretty nervous about the anesthesia. It freaks me out a little. But I know I'm in good hands. This whole process has been ordained by God since the very first appointment.... Really, since three years ago or so.

Here's to lots of eggs who fertilize and make stage 1 blastocysts! We are praying for a safe, quick and fruitful procedure that leaves us with some frozen embryos for future use. I don't think my girls or Justin's boys will let us down.

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

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